Machine for applying foil to paper



w E N R O T T A INVENTOR F. E. BROOKS MACHINE FOR APPLYING FOIL TO PAPER Filed Aug. 16, 1933 March 16, 1 937.

Patented Mar. 16, 1937 um STATES MACHINE FOR APPLYING rornro mrnrt Franlr E; Brooks, Batavia, N.

I .lassi giior to Brooks, Jamestowm'NrYg q 7 Application August 16, 1933, Serial No. 685,400 7 Claims ,lckis i -ssi This invention relates to a machine for the purpose of producing foil coatedpaper and more particularly to a machine for facing paper with metal foils, so as to provide a 'foil coated paper such papers beingused in the manufacture of embossed seals and in the manufactureof various Moreover, in present processes the foilcoating 7 is not uniformly and tightly united to the paper backing, and in thesubsequent manufacturing processes the foil has a tendency to blister and peel away from the backing when being processed by the machines which form the foil coated paper into its final form. The foil coated paper, as

made by present processes, also is not evenly applied so that thereare surface defects, such as wrinkles and cupping of the surface. It has also been difilcult to apply inks to foil coated paper as now made because the processes coat the surface of the foil so as to render diflicult the application of the inks used in the embossing and printing process. I

It is the principal object of this invention to overcome the above objections to the processes now in use for the production of foil coated paper by providing an inexpensive machine which handles the paper and foil in rolls as a continuous process and at high speedand in which the foil coating is uniformlyand tightly adherent to the paper backingand is evenly applied, without surface defects and will take ink and pass through forming machinery without danger of the foil loosening from the paper in any way.

Another object of the present invention is to j provide a machine for the production of foil coated paper in which the glue, forming the bond, isapplied to one side of the sheet of paper evenly and in a uniform film so that all parts of the applied foil are securely gluedto the paper backmg. g

Another object ofthe present invention is to unite the foil and paper without squeezing the same between pressure rollers, this use of calendering rolls being one of the principal defects of prior processes and resulting in the surface dethe output is limited only by the'customary shop 10 of foil and paper onja roll such mannerthat the re-Winding operation ls part of the finishing operation and completes-the" smoothing oftheY foil and the pressingofxthe foil into firm-bond A with the paper.

Another object of thepresent invention isto provide a processinwhich at all stages the paper and foil strips are kept taut and in which the roller speeds are readilycontrolled and in which practice in respect to machine speeds. V

Another object of the present invention isto provide such a machine' and process which can be employ'ed'in applying all manner of metal foils or thin facingsheets to backings' gf/a'ny sheetin'aterial. j n In the accompanying drawing the figure is a diagrammatic side elevation, with parts shown in section, of a machine embodying my invention and showingthe manner inwhich-rolls of paper and foil are united and re-rolled as foil coated paper. i

The various elements of the machine are shown asv supported'upon a frame 5. The paper 6 to be I I foil coated isin the form of a roll ,I' Ona spindle 8 which is suitably supported, in "a1;zhoriaonta position, in end half bearings 9 and suitablei fric tion isapplied to the spindle 8 by a screw tension device, indicated-at I01 The paper frompthis roll passesover a'horizontal roller II and undera roller [2, these rollers serving vto smooth' out the paper and also serving as guide rollerstoguide' the paper over the'top of a gluejroller or l3. The spindles Mofthis glue roller are suitably mounted in bearings and this glue roller dips into a pan I5 which contains the adhesive with which the foil and paper areunited; [The glue roller I3 is power driven and isrevolved"at a slightly greater peripheralspeed than the rate of travel of the paper so that a wiping action occurs between the glued periphery of the roller and the underside of the strip of paper and the glue is therefore appliedto the paper uniformly and over its entire under face thereby insuring that all parts of the foil will be united to vthe paper. The film of adhesive on the upper surface of the glue roller I3 is preferably regulated by a roller"l6,this roller l6 having an eccentric mounting ll so that the periphery of theroller l6'can be adjusted toward and from the periphery of theglueroller l3; thereby. to regulate the thickness. of' the film which .is applied to the underside of thestrip of paper Gj From the glue roller l3 the strip of paper passes .under another horizontally disposed "guide roller I8 and thence around the same sides of two rollers 9 and 28 which are spaced apart as indicated. Between these two rollers is ar ranged a blunt-edged knife 2| which is adjustable toward and from the coated surface of the sheet of paper 8 by means of suitable adjusting screws 22. This knife serves to spread and smooth the film of adhesive on the paper and the adjusting screws permit of adjusting the 10 effect of this knife. It will be noted that this dull edged knife 2| is adjustable toward and from the stretch of paper between the two rollers I8 and 28, thereby imposing a slight tension on the paper so that the glue is spread out unil5 formly and smoothly, regardless of any slight defects in the adjustment of the knife or in the surface of the adjacent rollers.

From the uppermost roller 28 the paper 5 passes over a horizontal roller 23, the spindles 24 of which are fixedly mounted in the machine frame 5. The roller 23 is at such distance from the roller 20 as to allow-time for the adhesive on the strip of paper to become partially tacky and at the proper degree of stickiness. A com- 25 panion adjustable roller 25 cooperates with the roller 23, but these rollers are not pressed against one another, the upper roller being off set relative to the lower roller 23 and being vertically adjustable by means of a screw 25 to impose a tension on the upper glued surface of the strip of paper 6.

The foil is'in the form of a strip 21 supplied from a roll 28 mounted on a spindle 29. As with the roll of paper, the ends of the spindle 2a of the roll of foil are supported in half bearings 38 and suitable friction is imposed on the spindle 29 by a screw tension device 3|. The half bearings supporting the roll of foil are preferably also adjustably .mounted on the frame 5 and are adjustable in horizontal direction, transversely of the roll, by means of screw 32.

From the roll 28 the strip of foil passes under a guiding and smoothing roller 33 and from this roller passes over and around the upper roller 25 and between this roller 25 and its companion roller 23. Since the strip of paper 8 is fed over the roller 23 and under the roller 25 .it is apparent that the foil and paper are brought together while travelling on the surface of the,

upper roller 25. However, inasmuch as the rollers 23 and 25 are not pressure rollers and have their peripheries spaced apart, it is apparent that the foil and paper are not pressed between these rollers and calendered and that the uniting of the paper and foil is effected wholly by the tension imposed on the stretches of paper and foil. The tension imposed upon the strip of paper is, of course, much greater thanthe tension imposed upon the strip of foil and the tension of the stretch of paper leaving the lower roller 23 controls the amount of pressure with which the foil and paper are united.

The united paper and foil pass horizontally into the inlet of a drying oven 34 which is supplied with hot air by a blower 35 which forces the air through a heater 38, the hot air from this heater being discharged through a conduit 31 against the upper or foil side of the united foil and paper. It is, of course, obvious that the oven 34 can also be heated by means of steam coils or other heating means instead of the hot air heater and blower shown. In the oven 34 the adhesive is rendered tacky and is [5 brought to a condition in which the foil coated paper can be re-rolled into its final form for shipment.

In leaving the oven 34 the foil coated paper passes around a roller 40 and under two rollers 4| and 42. From the roller 42 the strip of foil coated paper passes over a roller 43, these rollers conveying the foil coated strip of paper to the re-rolling mechanism indicated generally at 44. This re-rolling mechanism consists of a large friction roller 45 which is power driven and under and around which the foil coated paper passes. This power driven friction roller 45 is suitably mounted in bearings and a spindle 45 carries a gear 41 which meshes with an intermediate gear 48 which also meshes with a gear 49 on the spindle 50 of another roller 5|. The rollers 45 and 5| are arranged in the same horizontal plane, are of the same size and are driven at the same speed through the intermediate gear 48 and consequently both revolve in the same direction. The foil coated paper is rolled tightly in the form of a roll52 on a spindle 53,

' the roll 52 resting on the periphery of the two rollers 45 and 5|, as shown. The roll 52 of foil coated paper is prevented from rolling off the rollers 45 and 5| by an adjustable guide 54, this guide 54, this guide being vertically adjustable to permit of releasing the roll by means of a pin 55 adapted to engage any of a series of holes in the guide posts which form part of the machine frame.

The rolling of foil coated paper completes the surface finishing and the bonding of the paper and foil. The adhesive uniting the paper and foil passing from the oven 34 to the re-winder is still tacky and the materials are still warm. In the re-winder the material is rolled up not merely on a spindle or rack but is rolled up upon itself,

utilizing its own weight to provide tension. The roll 52 of foil coated paper rests upon the two rollers 45 and 5| and is made to revolve by power applied to these rollers, these rollers therebyacting as an ironing mechanism to apply snugly each successive layer of material against the surface of the roll 52 as it revolves. This final packing and ironing out of the finished material while still in the plastic state has been found to be essential to a perfect product. Moreover, since both the paper and the foil being re-rolled are warm and since the foil contracts to a greater extent than the paper the re-rolling of the paper with the foil on the outer face of the paper utilizes the greater contraction of the foil to draw it into firm bond with the paper.

Inasmuch as the weight of the roll 52 of foil coated paper is utilized to iron out and complete the finishing of the foil coated paper, it has been found desirable to vary the downward pressure on the spindle of this roll in accordance with the increasing amount of paper which is rolled upon the roll. For this purpose weight carriers 58 are hung upon the ends of the spindle 53, these carriers carrying a variable number of weights 51. As the process continues and the roll 52 of foil coated paper becomes heavier, the weights 51 are removed, one by one, so that the total weight of the roll 52 of foil coated paper, its spindle 53 and the weights 51 is always substantially the same.

From the foregoing it is apparent that the present invention provides a machine and process which is adapted to high speed production to provide foil coated paper in which there is a firm and uniform bond between the foil and the paper backing at all places. The invention moreover provides such foil coated paper which is en tirelysmooth and free from wrinkles and other surface defects. Also, since at all stages of the strips'the machine can be operated at very high speedsand there is no danger of tearing either strip which would require a shut down of the entire machine to permit of re-threading. More- I over, by employing thetension principle throughout in gluing, scraping, uniting the two sheets together and finishing the process, the resulting product has a smooth, finished surface free from all defects.

There is also nothing in the present process which permits of the formation of a film on the finish surface of the foil which would interfere with the application of printing inks thereto in any subsequent embossing or printing process. The machine and process are also very simple in construction and operation and contains no parts which are subject to failure or liable to become gummed up by the adhesive and a superior foil coated paper can thereforebe produced at lower cost than by the processes now in use. i

I claim as my invention: 1. In amachine for producing foil coated paper, papersupply means, a horizontal adhesive roll, a pan containing a sticky adhesive into which said roll dips, a horizontal roller arranged immediately adjacent each side of said adhesive roll andparallel therewith, means for passing the paper from said supply means under one of said rollers, the bottoms of said rollers being a substantial distance below the top of said roll whereby a large area of said paper is brought into contact with said roll, over and around the periphery of said adhesive roll and under the other of said rollers, means for driving said adhesive roll. to

provide a peripheral movement in the direction of travel of said paper and at a slightly higher peripheral speed than the rate of travel of said paper whereby the adhesive on said roll is wiped against said paper and means for applying foil to the coated sideof said paper after leaving said last named roller.

2. In a machine for producing foil coated paper, paper supply means, a pair of spaced rollers, means for passing the paper from said supply means around corresponding sides of said rollers to provide a taut stretch therebetween, means for applying a thin coating of adhesive to the opposite side of said sheet from that engaging said rollers and before leaving the first roller of said pair, a roller pressing with substantial pressure against the taut stretch of paper between said first mentioned pair of rollers and means for passing a sheet of thin metal foil around said last mentioned roller whereby said foil is pressed by said last mentioned roller against the coated side of the taut stretch of paper between said first mentioned pair of rollers and a firm bond obtained between said foil and paper.

3. In a machine for producing foil coated paper,

, paper feed means, means for applying adhesive to a subsequent means for passing thepaper from said supply means around the corresponding sides of said-roll-v means adjustable toward and from the stretch of paper supply means, a pair ofspaced rollers,

paper between said rollers and smoothing the adhesive on said stretch and tautening said stretch,

'a second pair of spaced rollers, means for passing the coated and smoothed paper around the corresponding sides of said second mentioned pair of rollers to provide a taut stretch therebetween, a foil applying roller pressing against the taut stretch of paper between said second mentioned pair of rollers, means for adjusting the pressure exerted by said foil applying roller on said last stretch of paper and means for passing foil around said foil applying roller whereby said foil is pressed by said foil applying roller against the coated side of said last mentioned stretch of paper and a firm bond obtained between said foil and paper, the distance between said first and second mentioned pairs of rollers providing a predetermined time interval for the partial hardening of said adhesive.

. 5. In a machine for producing foil coated paper, means for feeding a strip of paper, means for applying an adhesive to one side of said strip of paper, means for applying foil to the coated side of said strip of paper, means for rolling said foil' coated paper into a roll, means for supporting said foil coated roll on its periphery whereby the weight of said roll irons and smooths the foil coated paper and means for adjustably regulating the weight of said roll in accordance with the amount of foil coated paper rolled thereon.

- 6. In a machine for producing foil coated paper .40 pan containing adhesive into which said adhesive or the like, paper supply means, an adhesive roll, a

roll dips, a roller arranged on each side of said adhesive roll, means for passing the paper from said supply means under said rollers and over and around the periphery of said adhesive roll, means for driving the adhesive roll to provide a peripheral movement in the direction of travel of said paper and at a higher peripheral speed than the rate of travel of said paper whereby the adhesive on said adhesive roll is wiped against the paper, pair of rollers, means for passing the paper from said adhesive roll around corresponding sides of said last named pair of rollers with the uncoated side in contact therewith, a blunt knife adjacent the stretch of paper between said last named rollers and on the coated side of said paper, means for adjusting the edge of said knife toward and from the coated side of said paper to smooth the adhesive thereon, a further pair of rollers over which the smoothed adhesive coated paper passes, a foil applying roller pressing against the stretch of paper between said last named pair of rollers, means for fladjusting the pressure exerted by said foil applying roller on said last named stretch of paper,

7. In a machine for producing foil coated paper, I naner feed men.ns means for annlvinz a thin coating of adhesive to one side 01' said paper, means providing a taut stretch of the coated paper, a roller exerting a substantial pressure against the coated side of said taut stretch of paper and means for feeding a sheet of thin metal foil between said roller and said coated face whereby said foil is applied to said coated face with substantial pressure and a firm bond effected between said paper and foil.

' FRANK E. BROOKS. 

